Electrical generating apparatus for airplanes



June 28, 1927. 1,634,167

c. A. WILSON ELECTRICAL. GENERATING APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES INVENTOR Q1?1' ATTORNEYS li baolv,

J 1927' A. WILSON ELECTRICAL GENERATING APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES FiledMay 6, 1926 E so g? '5 N M g a. 3 Ti. 10 -Y g a g3, 8 iv uWITNESk-ZS l 2Sheets-Sheet j INVENTOR Gal/41.60 6

ATTORNEYS Patented June 28,, 1927.

GEORGE A. WILSON, OE GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI.

PATENT OFF ICE.

ELECTRICAL GENERATING APPARATUS FOR AIRPLANES.

v Application filed Kay- 6,

This invention relates to improvements in airplanes, one of theob'ectsbeing to provide apparatus capable or operation by pass- I airplanepropeller independently of the air plane gasoline motor.

Other objects and advantages appear .in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of an' airplane principally showing the wind wheels andhousings.

Figure 2 is a-detail sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of the airplaneillustrating the details of the generating apparatus.

The electrical generating apparatus is herein shown and described inconnection with the airplane 1 but .it is contemplated that theprinciples of the invention may be employed in other connections and forother purposes. Such other connections mentioned p would require, as isthe case of the airplane, a prime mover shown as consisting of agasoline motor 2, a device to be driven in this case the propeller 3, amounting which becomes movable upon operation of the driven deviceconsisting of the fuselage 4: and a secondary'mover which in this caseis the electric motor 5.

An airplane is regarded as a good type of mounting for the apparatus,and perhaps maybe preferable to others due to the swiftness of the aircurrents when the airplane flies forwardly at high velocity. The aircurrents are made to (lI'lVe a pair of wind wheels 6 and 7 which arecomposed of a familiar arrangement of radial spokes having transversepaddles fastened to the extremities.

The wind wheels are mounted upon shafts 8 and 9.- Each of the shaftsoperates-an electrical generator. The generators 10 and e 11 aregenerally'indicated in Figure 1 and the generator 11 is more-plainlyshown in Fi ure 3.

These wind wheels are contained by housings' 12 and 13, mounted in anysuitable manner at the sides of the fuselage 4. The,

stream line construction of the windwheel housing-is preferable topresent as little resistance as possible to the forward passage of theairplane. The windwheel shafts are journaled in any suitable mannerbetween 1926. Serial No. 107,284.

the sides of the fuselage and the housings themselves.

It is not intended that the wind wheels shall revolve perpetually whilethe airplane is in motion, although they may be made to do so ifdesired. To carry out the purpose of rendering the wind wheels operativeor inoperative the housings are provided with guides 14; and 15 (Fig. l)in which the lateral extremities or edges of'art-iculated hoods orcovers 16 (Fig. 2) are capable of sliding. The end 17 of the housing(using the housing 12*as an example) falls on a line (Fig. 2). asuitable distance below the'upper extremity of the wind wheel 6. Thus,when the hood 16 is let down into the front part windwheel will then becovered and not being1 subject to the air currents will remain stiOperation of the hoods is conveniently erformed from the aviators seatS. Figure 3 illustrates the operating means of the hood on the far side.The hood will be provided with a pin 18 extending through an arcuateslot 19 in the side of the fuselage. A link 20 connects the pin with ahandle 21 which in turn is pivoted at 22 to a suitable support." It isplain that movement of the handle forward. and backward upon its pivot'will depress or extend the hood of the housmg 13 either to a concealedor an exposed position thereby to either permit or prevent rotation ofthe wind wheel 7. There will be a similar arrangement for the operationof the cover 15 of the housing 12. Usually both hoods will be let downtogether so that both windwheels will operate simultaneously. Butinasmuch as there is no connection between the two, it is permissibleate one without the other.

Reference is had to Figure 3. The gasoline motor 2 is regarded as belngof any to operordinary kind, and inasmuch as such motors are of more orless common knowledge, the usual gasoline supply, carbureting device,controls, etc. are omitted. The gasoline 'motor or prime mover shaft 23is extended at the front to carry the element 24 'of a clutch which isrevoluble with the shaft but axially slidable upon a key 25. Thecomlementary element 26 of the clutch is fixedy keyed at 27-up0n therearward extension of the electric motor or secondary mover shaft 28.The forward extension of this shaft carries the propeller 3. The shaftalso carries the usual armature and commutator29 and 30. A sutficientlpowerful spring 31, mounted upon the s aft 23 behind the movable clutchelement normally forces that element into engagement with the element 26so that operation of the gasoline motor 2 will drive the propeller 3.

Under this circumstance the armature 29 and commutator 30 will obviouslyrevolve with the propeller or secondary mover shaft The electricalportion of the apparatus comprises a storage battery 38 (Fig. 3) whichis capable of being charged by the two generators. Only the generator 11is shown in. circuit in Figure 3 but in practice the generator 10 willbe connected in the circuit in parallel so that both may act upon thebattery. Feed wires 39 and 40 of the generator 11 connect with two ofthe terminals of an automatic cut-out 41. The continuation 42 of thewire 39 connects with one terminal of the battery. The contintworemainin terminal of the battery nation 43 of the wire 40 through thecutout 41 connects with a wire 44 which extends to a conventionalammeter 45. The terminals of the automatic cut-out serve rst for thedouble connection of the wires 43 and 44 and second for the connectionof wires 46, and 47 respectively from the ammeter and from the remainingBranches 48 and 49 of the battery wires 42 and 47 connect with theblades of a switch 50 whence they continue as wires 51 and 52 tosuitable terminals of the electric motor 5. Closing and opening of theswitch 50 will start and stop the motor 5, the current being supplied bythe battery 38. The automatic or reverse-current cut-out 41 is of theconventional type cominonl used in automobiles, for example the' odgeautomoblle. A synopsis of the description of operation of the cut-out iscontained in Dykes Automobile and Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia of 1918,page 370 is as follows: A;

given generator speed will cause closure of the circuit between thegenerator and the battery thus allowin a charging current tobe conductedfrom t e generator to the battery. Whenever the speed falls below theobtained the hoods 16, which up to this time were supposed to be drawnrearwardly in the guides 14 and 15 over the wind wheels 6 and 7, are nowlet down into the concealed position, thereby exposing the upperextremitiesof the wind wheels to the air currents which strike upon theline a in Fig. 2. Both the driving force of the air currents and themomentum of the wheels themselves willset them to and keep them revolving at a high rate. The generator 10 and 11, connected with the Windwheel shafts send an electric current into the battery 38 over a circuitsupposedly completed through the cut-out 41 as follows: generator 11(see Fig. 3) over wires 39 and 42 to the battery 38, over wires 47 and46 to the ammeter 45, returning over wires 44, 43 and 40 to thegenerator. The capacity of the storage battery 38 may be as great asdesired.

At a given time the aviator may stop the gasoline motor 2 and in thesame instance both disengage the clutch and close the switch 51. Theaction within the battery 38 then sets u a current as follows: oneterminal of t e battery over wire 48 to the switch 50, wire 51 to themotor 5, returning of the propeller 3 may therefore be continued over anextended period with the added advantage of quiet operation andelimination of.danger by fire or failure of motive power.

Gasoline motor 2 may be started and caused to drive the ropeller 3 aseasily as it-canbe stopped. t is not an uncommon occurrence that agasoline airplane motor will stop (or die as it is commonly called whilethe airplane is in flight; .At suc times, it requires 'acool head tobring-the airplane to the ground safely. But with an auxiliary source ofpower at his command h the aviator 1n the present instance could switchon the motor 5 and thereby save him- ,3. In combination with a body tobe proconstruction and operation of the apparatus, characteristiccontrols therefor, a'secondary 'which is dependent for its power on theac-- the body is in motion by means of said 70 c while the constructionand arrangements of tion is set up by operation of the generator, theapparatus is that of a generally prea circuit embracing the battery andelectric motor having a crank s aft, a secondary propeller, an electricmotor having an arma- 30 set in motion by operation of said device, fthe wind according to the position of the 85 electric motor, and aclutch with an operatbattery, a clutch comprising fixedand slided uponcontinuous ends of said shafts pertiguous ends of the armature and thegasoline either the primary or secondar mover. movable elements toeitherrelease or connect 5 a ing efiort of said device to either the primarymeans, said circuit having a switch capab e I 4 isopened, ordistributinglthe driving efiort rmitting'variableoperation of saiddevice isclosed. c

wearer a self possible disaster. lied, a device to be driven. therebysecur- With the acquired understanding of the mg said propulsion, aprime mover with 0 the reader can comprehend the foregoing movercomprising an electric motor, a wheel reservatiom of use of theinvention in conwhich may be subjected to the action of the nectionsother than with an airplane. The medium through which the body is .to berequisite of such use would be some type of propelled, a housing forthe'wheel having a 65 propeller which, by virtue of its operation, hoodwhich may be placed in position to would cause movement of its mounting.The eithercover or expose a portion of the wheel prime mover of thepropeller can be subto said medium, a generator operated by thestituted. for at'times by a secondary mover. wheel when said portion isexposed and when t-ion of the movable mounting. Therefore, medium, abattery in which chemical acferred form, obviously gmodifications andmotor having a switch capable of being 7 changes may be made withoutdeparting closed and opened, and a clutch between the 75 from the spiritof the invention or the scope prime and secondary movers being operableof the claims. for the purpose described. 1

1 4. An airplanehaving afuselage, a pro- 1. A prime mover com rising agasoline peller, a gasoline motor for driving the mover comprisin anelectric motor having ture shaft upon which the propeller is mount-' anarmature sha a device to be driven beved,- hous ngs at the sides of thefuselage having mounted upon the armature shaft,- a mg a slidable hood,a wind wheel in each of mounting for the foregoing structures being thehousings being-exposed or protected from means operated by the motion ofthe mounthood, generators operated by the wind wheel, ing for generatingand storing electrical can an electrical circuit including thegenerators rent, a circuitembracing the electric motor, and the electricmotor, said circuit containa and the current storage, said circuithaving ing abattery and a switch the latter being c a switch capable ofclosure to operate, the closed to operate the electric motor from the .0

ing control therefor, having elements mountable elements respectivelyupon the iconmittnfg variable operation of said device-by motor shafts,and means for operating the 2. In combination with a ho y tobeprothegasoline motor as may be desired. polled, a device to bedrivenand thereby 5. A device of the character described secure the requiredpropulsion a prime comprising a prime -,mover having. a shaft, moverwith characteristic controls therefor, a secondary mover comprising anelectric a secondary mover comprising an electric. motor having a shaft,a device to be driven 1 motor, means acted upon by the medium beingmounted upon the shaft of the second-- through which the body ispropelled to roary mover, a mounting for the foregoing duce anelectrical current, a'battery inw 'ich structure being set in motion'byoperation of the current is stored, a circuit embracing the said device,means operated by the motion of a motor and battery including a switch bthe mounting for generating and storing 1 which the circuit canbe openedand close electrical current, a circuit embracing the and means foroptionally confining the drivelectric motor, and the, current stor orsecondary movers in which latter instance of closure to operate theelectric motor, and the switch. closed, confining thedriv" a clutch withan operating control therefor, H0 effort to the prime mover in whichtheswit' having elements mounted upon said shafts between both movers in wy either theprimary or secondar mover I GEORGE WdLSON.

ich case the switch

